The troubled son of Dynasty actress Kate O’Mara was found hanged in the garage of her home in Warwickshire, an inquest has heard.

The body of 48-year-old Dickon O’Mara was discovered by his mother’s next-door neighbour in the garage of her home in Long Marston, near Stratford, at around 3.40pm on December 31 last year.

The inquest, sitting at Warwickshire Justice Centre in Leamington, heard evidence that food and drink was found in the garage, along with a mattress on the top of three work benches.

It is thought O’Mara could have been dead for nearly three weeks, as the last text his mother, who was not at the hearing, received from him was on December 8, the inquest heard.

Pc Phil Hewish, who investigated the death, told the hearing the neighbour contacted the police due to an “unpleasant odour” coming from the garage.

The officer told the court the former theatre technician had been troubled since he sustained a brain injury when he was hit by a car in 2010.

The crash affected his balance and left O’Mara, who had worked for the Royal Shakespeare Company in his 20s, unable to work, the inquest heard.

However, O’Mara had also tried to take his own life on two previous occasions before the crash, Pc Hewish told the inquest.

The hearing heard he had “issues” with drinking, which caused problems between him and his mother while he was living with her.

However, no alcohol or drugs were found in his system after his death, the hearing was told.

The inquest was told his mother, who is best known for her role as scheming Caress Morell in Dynasty, was diagnosed with pneumonia in September last year and that he struggled to come to terms with the illness.

When his behaviour became too much for her to cope with, his mother rented him a room in Stratford, where she hoped he would get employment again with the RSC, the inquest was told.

Arguments ensued between the pair with the police called to Mrs O’Mara’s house in October.

He was arrested the following month for breach of the peace after being found intoxicated at his address in Stratford.

His aunt, Belinda Cochrane, who attended the hearing, told the coroner: “He was a very troubled soul for a very long time.

“He had a lot of talent that was wasted. He was a lovely person”, she added.

Patricia Purkiss, Mr O’Mara’s godmother and a close friend of his mother’s for more than 40 years, also attended the hearing with her husband Alan.

Mrs Purkiss told the coroner: “His mother loved him dearly and she fought like a tiger for him but in the end she was too ill to fight”

The coroner for Coventry and Warwickshire Sean McGovern recorded a verdict of O’Mara taking his own life.